seme tgeid wei cigae, . Rongelap-Utirik axis will need to be studied. ‘and Mejit Island. This would includ e Ailuk Atoll In addition, Wotje should probably also be screened in an . attempt to £ind a base Line perimeter with ambient Micronesian radiation back- ground. I understand data exists relating to radiologic surveys made throughout the weapons-testing period for many of the Marshall Islands. A second, independent but related problem has arisen from recent studies in low-level radiation. The program, up until January 1, 1979, was oriented primarily toward the study of acute radiation effects caused by exposure to external and internal radionuclides in the study population. The comparison population, defined in 1957, consisted of Rongelapese who were not acutely exposed but returned to Rongelap in 1957 with the exposed group. Since Utirik had only received about 14 rads of external gamma, the people were returned to the island four months after contamination and no Utirik control population was selected. Over the ensuing years, the development of thyrold pathology has been impressive. On Rongelap, exposed group. four cases of cancer of the thyroid have been detected in the Quite unexpectedly, three cancers have been confirmed at . Utirik in the exposed group, and there are two additional cancers in people who have spent much of their time on Utirik since 1 March 1954. In addition, one of the Rongelap controls (fdimund), who developed cancer, has been living on Rongclap since 1958. We know that both Rongelap and Utirik were reinhabited at a time when the background radiation was slightly above ambient for the “unexposed” areas in Micronesia. The problem we now face is that many of the "comparison" group were exposed to this environment and,therefore, constitute a subpopulation of “Low Level-exposure”™. Tu Tight of some (Johan Nicoloff - President, American Thyrold Association) current opftnien thatoa thyroid tCissuc dose as fow as six rads may he carcinogenic, -2-- ’